The SCL-90 factor structure in comorbid substance abusers

Studying the evolution of nesting behavior within the human-chimpanzee clade is problematic because evidence is sparse and difficult to interpret. Lacking a fossil or archaeological record for proto-chimpanzees, reconstructions of the antecedents of modern chimp nesting patterns can be reconstructed only from careful studies of variation in current chimpanzee and bonobo nesting patterns within the context of spatial and temporal landscape parameters. The ethology of nesting also provides an important frame of reference for reconstructions of early hominid nesting behavior. If the contemporary contrast between human and chimpanzee nesting patterns is seen as an evolutionary dichotomy, then African prehistoric landmarks that mark the origin of this split might include bipedalism and the origins of the hominidae, the first stone tools and the origins of Homo, the developmental and behavioral adaptations of Homo ergaster, shifts in Late Acheulian settlement patterns, and the origins of anatomically modern humans and the Middle Stone Age. The issue of whether Early Stone Age archaeological sites were used for nesting is unresolved because potential markers of such behavior, such as hearths, structures, or bedding, are not unambiguously recognizable in the archaeological record until the Middle Stone Age.     

Discrete trait and dental morphometric affinities of the Tabun 2 mandible

Evolutionary scenarios of Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic hominids depend to an extent upon whether the terminal Middle Pleistocene Tabun 2 mandible has its primary affinities with the late archaic (Neandertal sensu lato) or early modern (Qafzeh-Skhul) human lineage in the region. Since the specimen has been assigned to each group or seen as bridging them, we have re-examined its morphological affinities relative to these two samples, as well as to European samples of later Pleistocene hominids. This has been done with respect to posterior corporeal and ramal discrete traits, symphyseal morphology, and proportional morphometric patterns along the dental arcade. Taking within and between sample ranges of variation into account, the lateral corporeal and ramal discrete characters are either ambiguous or suggest Neandertal affinities. Anterior symphyseal morphology is largely unknown, but a mentum osseum is indicated by a moderate incisura mandibulare anterior, and the tuber symphyseos did not extend superiorly toward the alveoli, a non-modern arrangement. The lingual symphysis presents the largest planum alveolare known for a Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic hominid. Morphometric analysis of proportions along the dental arcade separate Tabun 2 from Near Eastern and European early modern humans and place it among the late archaic humans. It is dentally closest to the Near Eastern late archaic human lineage and the Krapina sample. These analyses therefore indicate that it is best seen as part of the Near Eastern late archaic human lineage with only the mentum osseum and incisure shape indicating any approach to the Qafzeh-Skhul humans within the Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic.     

A hominid from the lower Pleistocene of Atapuerca, Spain: possible ancestor to Neandertals and modern humans

Human fossil remains recovered from the TD6 level (Aurora stratum) of the lower Pleistocene cave site of Gran Dolina, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain, exhibit a unique combination of cranial, mandibular, and dental traits and are suggested as a new species of Homo-H. antecessor sp. nov. The fully modern midfacial morphology of the fossils antedates other evidence of this feature by about 650, 000 years. The midfacial and subnasal morphology of modern humans may be a retention of a juvenile pattern that was not yet present in H. ergaster. Homo antecessor may represent the last common ancestor for Neandertals and modern humans.     

Electron probe energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXA) in the investigation of fossil bone: the case of Java man

Doubts about the attribution of the Trinil femur to Homo erectus on anatomical grounds have a long history. Here, for the first time, published stratigraphic information and chemical evidence based on the Ca/P ratios confirm that the anatomical doubts are justified. The Trinil femur apparently belongs to a more recent stratum above the 'fossil layer' (Hauptknochenschicht, HK) in which the Trinil calotte was found. It is concluded that the Trinil Femur I belongs to Homo sapiens, whereas the Trinil Femora II-V and the calotte belong to H. erectus. The chemical evidence derives from the use of electron probe energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXA), a technique that can be virtually non-destructive and therefore may be used on scarce fossil evidence.     

Humoral immune response to Malassezia furfur in patients with pityriasis versicolor and seborrheic dermatitis

The postmortem stature was measured in 57 Korean adult males (age range: 20-86 years old, mean: 52.3 years old) in supine position. After dissection of the corpses, we measured the maximum length of the remaining limb-bones (humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia and fibula). The correlation coefficients between the stature and each limb-bone length were calculated. Simple regression equations for estimating stature from each limb-bone length and multiple regression equations from the combination of limb-bone lengths were also obtained.     

Iodide suppression of major histocompatibility class I gene expression in thyroid cells involves enhancer A and the transcription factor NF-kappa B

A sexual dimorphism more marked than in living humans has been claimed for European Middle Pleistocene humans, Neandertals and prehistoric modern humans. In this paper, body size and cranial capacity variation are studied in the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene sample. This is the largest sample of non-modern humans found to date from one single site, and with all skeletal elements represented. Since the techniques available to estimate the degree of sexual dimorphism in small palaeontological samples are all unsatisfactory, we have used the bootstraping method to asses the magnitude of the variation in the Sima de los Huesos sample compared to modern human intrapopulational variation. We analyze size variation without attempting to sex the specimens a priori. Anatomical regions investigated are scapular glenoid fossa; acetabulum; humeral proximal and distal epiphyses; ulnar proximal epiphysis; radial neck; proximal femur; humeral, femoral, ulnar and tibial shaft; lumbosacral joint; patella; calcaneum; and talar trochlea. In the Sima de los Huesos sample only the humeral midshaft perimeter shows an unusual high variation (only when it is expressed by the maximum ratio, not by the coefficient of variation). In spite of that the cranial capacity range at Sima de los Huesos almost spans the rest of the European and African Middle Pleistocene range. The maximum ratio is in the central part of the distribution of modern human samples. Thus, the hypothesis of a greater sexual dimorphism in Middle Pleistocene populations than in modern populations is not supported by either cranial or postcranial evidence from Sima de los Huesos.     

Sphenoid shortening and the evolution of modern human cranial shape

Crania of 'anatomically modern' Homo sapiens from the Holocene and Upper Pleistocene epochs differ from those of other Homo taxa, including Neanderthals, by only a few features. These include a globular braincase, a vertical forehead, a dimunitive browridge, a canine fossa and a pronounced chin. Humans are also unique among mammals in lacking facial projection: the face of the adult H. sapiens lies almost entirely beneath the anterior cranial fossa, whereas the face in all other adult mammals, including Neanderthals, projects to some extent in front of the braincase. Here I use radiographs and computed tomography to show that many of these unique human features stem partly from a single, ontogenetically early reduction in the length of the sphenoid, the central bone of the cranial base from which the face grows forward. Sphenoid reduction, through its effects on facial projection and cranial shape, may account for the apparently rapid evolution of modern human cranial form, and suggests that Neanderthals and other archaic Homo should be excluded from H. sapiens.     

DNA, morphology and fossils: phylogeny and evolutionary rates of the gastropod genus Littorina

Using data from the direct sequencing of fragments of three mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S ribosomal RNA, and cytochrome-b; total length 1469 b.p.) we have reconstructed a gene phylogeny for all 19 living species of the gastropod genus Littorina. Members of the closely related genera Nodilittorina, Littoraria and Mainwaringia have been used as outgroups, and it appears that Littorina is monophyletic. An earlier morphological phylogeny has been revised, and its topology found to be almost entirely consistent with that from the molecular data. The fossil record is sparse, but likewise consistent. A consensus tree is presented, showing clear resolution of basal and terminal branches, and a central unresolved polychotomy. We have used fossil evidence and geological events to estimate the ages of some clades, and thus to calculate average rates of molecular evolution, which in turn provide approximate dates for all branches of the molecular phylogeny. The central polychotomy may be explained by a burst of rapid speciation in the northwestern Pacific during the Middle Miocene, perhaps driven by climatic fluctuation. Our results support the hypothesis that the two clades of Littorina in the northern Atlantic originated from Pacific ancestors which took part in the Pliocene trans-Arctic migration of marine organisms.     

Mortality analysis of Pleistocene bears and its paleoanthropological relevance

Bear bones and Paleolithic stone artefacts often co-occur in Pleistocene cave deposits of Eurasia, raising the question of how these associations come about and the need for effective methods with which to obtain a clear answer. Building upon knowledge of modern bears, I present a method for testing two competing hypotheses about the causes of bear mortality in hibernation contexts. The first hypothesis proposes that age-dependent deaths resulted from non-violent causes (principally starvation), implying that bears' presence in a cave was not linked in time to human activities there. The second hypothesis proposes that random bear deaths in caves resulted from hunting by humans or other large predators, implying a temporal link between them; the expectation of a nonselective age pattern in this circumstance arises from the fact that the individual characters of hibernating bears are hidden from predators. Three elements of the method and its development are presented: (1) a brief review of the biological bases of hibernation-related mortality in modern Ursus, its paleontological consequences, and test expectations drawn therefrom; (2) a detailed, illustrated technique for age-scoring isolated bear cheek teeth based on tooth eruption-wear sequences, developed primarily for cave and brown bears; and, (3) a simple, accurate way to evaluate real cases in terms of contrasting mortality models. The final step is demonstrated by application to a Middle Pleistocene cave bear assemblage (Ursus deningeri) from Yarimburgaz Cave in Turkey, a large collection found in general stratigraphic association with Paleolithic artefacts. The advantages of the method include its ability to (a) handle small samples, (b) use isolated tooth specimens, and (c) evaluate cases simultaneously in terms of idealized age structure models and the variation that normally is associated with each under natural conditions. While the more obvious benefit of bear mortality analysis may be to research on ancient bear demography, the principles and procedures offered here are equally pertinent to archaeological studies of carnivore-mediated formation processes in cave sites. As is generally true in taphonomic research, however, bear mortality patterns are most effective when used in combination with independent lines of evidence to address questions about assemblage formation.     

A one-million-year-old Homo cranium from the Danakil (Afar) Depression of Eritrea

One of the most contentious topics in the study of human evolution is that of the time, place and mode of origin of Homo sapiens. The discovery in the Northern Danakil (Afar) Depression, Eritrea, of a well-preserved Homo cranium with a mixture of characters typical of H. erectus and H. sapiens contributes significantly to this debate. The cranium was found in a succession of fluvio-deltaic and lacustrine deposits and is associated with a rich mammalian fauna of early to early-middle Pleistocene age. A magnetostratigraphic survey indicates two reversed and two normal magnetozones. The layer in which the cranium was found is near the top of the lower normal magnetozone, which is identified as the Jaramillo subchron. Consequently, the human remains can be dated at approximately 1 million years before present.     

Evidence from facial morphology for similarity of Asian and African representatives of Homo erectus

It has been argued that Homo erectus is a species confined to Asia. Specialized characters displayed by the Indonesian and Chinese skulls are said to be absent in material from eastern Africa, and individuals from Koobi Fora and Nariokotome are now referred by some workers to H. ergaster. This second species is held to be the ancestor from which later human populations are derived. The claim for two taxa is evaluated here with special reference to the facial skeleton. Asian fossils examined include Sangiran 4 and Sangiran 17, several of the Ngandong crania, Gongwangling, and of course the material from Zhoukoudian described by Weidenreich ([1943] Palaeontol. Sin. [New Ser. D] 10:1-484). African specimens compared are KNM-ER 3733 and KNM-ER 3883 from Koobi Fora and KNM-WT 15000 from Nariokotome. Hominid 9 from Olduvai is useful only insofar as the brows and interorbital pillar are preserved. Neither detailed anatomical comparisons nor measurements bring to light any consistent patterns in facial morphology which set the African hominids apart from Asian H. erectus. Faces of the African individuals do tend to be high and less broad across the orbits. Both of the Koobi Fora crania but not KNM-WT 15000 have nasal bones that are narrow superiorly, while the piriform aperture is relatively wide. In many other characters, including contour of the supraorbital torus, glabellar prominence, nasal bridge dimensions, internasal keeling, anatomy of the nasal sill and floor, development of the canine jugum, orientation of the zygomaticoalveolar pillar, rounding of the anterolateral surface of the cheek, formation of a malar tubercle, and palatal rugosity, there is variation among individuals from localities within the major geographic provinces. Here it is not possible to identify features that are unique to either the Asian or African assemblages. Additional traits such as a forward sloping "crista nasalis," presence of a "sulcus maxillaris," a high (and massive) cheek coupled with some flexion of the malar pillar, and a posterior position for the incisive canal are present in all groups. These characters seem to be plesiomorphic, in comparison to the derived states evolved in later humans. Much or all of the variation in facial form can be attributed to sex dimorphism and/or local differentiation of populations within the Asian and African geographic regions. Metric differences among the fossils are comparable to those documented in a subset of recent H. sapiens, and there is no evidence that the Pleistocene specimens show greater dispersion than expected within a single species. This finding is generally in keeping with observations made on other parts of the cranium, lower jaw, and teeth. All of the hominids can be placed in H. erectus. Although its phylogenetic origins remain obscure, this lineage must be rooted in Africa. The species flourished for a long time. At several sites in China, H. erectus is known from deposits of the later Middle Pleistocene, while at Ngandong in Indonesia, archaic people may have survived even into the Late Pleistocene (Swisher et al. [1996] Science 274:1870-1874). The Ngandong fossils may record the last appearance of the lineage.     

Morphology, paleoanthropology, and Neanderthals

Morphology carries the primary signal of events in the evolutionary history of any group of organisms but has been relatively neglected by paleoanthropologists, those who study the history of the human species. Partly this is the result of historical influences, but it is also due to a rather fundamentalist adherence among paleoanthropologists to the tenets of the Neodarwinian Evolutionary Synthesis. The result has been a general paleoanthropological desire to project the species Homo sapiens back into the past as far and in as linear a manner as possible. However, it is clear that the human fossil record, like that of most other taxa, reveals a consistent pattern of systematic diversity--a diversity totally unreflected in the conventional minimalist interpretation of that record. Thus, the Neanderthals, both morphologically and behaviorally as distinctive a group of hominids as ever existed, are conventionally classified simply as a subspecies of our own species Homo sapiens--a classification that robs these extinct relatives of their evolutionary individuality. Only when we recognize the Neanderthals as a historically distinctive evolutionary entity, demanding understanding in its own terms, will we be able to do them proper justice. And we will only be able to do this by restoring morphology to its proper place of primacy in human evolutionary studies.     

Changes in therapeutic principles in fractures of the extremities with severe soft tissue injuries exemplified by tibial fracture

Functional results after open fractures have been improved during the last decades. Especially the rates of amputation and chronic osteitis after open tibial fractures have been reduced from 30% to less than 5%. The initial management of this type of fracture includes reconstruction of the perfusion of the involved vessels, subsequent debridement with resection of avascular tissues, decompression of compartments by fasciotomy and initial shortening of the tibia by osteotomy and followed by callus distraction in order to achieve the physiological length of the leg. Cortical bone with periostal stripping has to be covered by local muscle transfer or by free vascularized tissue transfer within 3-7 days. Bone defects are either reconstructed by cancellous bone graft or, if the defect is longer than 2 cm, by continuous segmental transfer, according to the technique described by Ilizarov.     

Inter-Regional Comparisons on the Quaternary Large Mammalian Faunas between China and Sub-Saharan Africa

The current and dominant theory about the origin of modern humans is the out-of-Africa hypothesis, which asserts that populations of Homo sapiens left Africa 100,000 years ago and replaced indigenous populations of humans in Eurasia. Many scholars equated the out-of-Africa dispersal of humans with paleoenvironmental changes. However, until now, few have paid special attention to the faunal data and whether or not faunal patterns are supportive of the popular theory. Recent comparative study of the Chinese fauna shows that the communication of faunas between Africa and East Asia could have occurred during the Neogene, but it was very limited during the Pleistocene. In the Chinese Quaternary fauna, only 16% of the genera are also present in the sub-Saharan African fauna. There is also no element among the dominant taxa of the Chinese Quaternary fauna which can be related to the African fauna. There is no reliable proof for the existence of Hippopotamus and Giraffa, as well as Panthera leo, during the Quaternary in China. Two controversial taxa are Acinonyx and Crocuta, about which there is still argument concerning their species identification in Eurasia. It is possible that both of the genera have co-specific taxa in Africa and Eurasia. Although the two genera are confined to Africa today, they did have a long evolutionary history in China. For the Out of Africa hypothesis for Homo sapiens, the implications of the limited faunal interchanges between China and Africa are not completely clear yet.     

The trajectory of the point of application of the resultant force of body mass at different walking speeds. Statistical analysis of human walking

Parameters of walking at ordinary, fast and slow speeds in 30 male and 30 female young adults were investigated. More than 10 trials were made for each speed by each subject. The number of subjects and trials was large enough to permit a statistical analysis. The focus of the study was the movement of the point where the resultant foot-ground force intersects the ground. Its pathway, or trajectory, begins at touch-down from the middle part of the heel, then runs quickly on a straight line to the heads of the first or second metatarsal bones, turns medially and moves slowly towards the base of the first toe, ending at the tip of the first or second toe, or between them. This result confirms that the ankle joint works like a hinge during the stance phase, and that the human foot structure is relatively robust. Remarkably high positive correlations between stride length and stature, as well as iliospinal height were found in male subjects. However in females these clear correlations were not found, except at fast walking speeds, although were not so notable as in males. Correlations calculated from the data from all female subjects indicated significantly quite high values, as in males, but it is almost impossible to estimate exact stature or iliospinal height reliably from stride length because of its relative high variation. The sexual difference in walking speed is not due to stride duration, but to stride length.     

A gloverin-like antibacterial protein is synthesized in Helicoverpa armigera following bacterial challenge

The elucidation of patterns of cranial skeletal maturation and growth in fossil hominids is possible not only through dental studies but also by mapping different aspects of ossification in both extant African apes and humans. However, knowledge of normal skeletal development in large samples of extant great apes is flimsy. To remedy this situation, this paper offers an extensive survey and thorough discussion of the ossification of the posterior border of the sphenoid greater wing. Indeed, this area provides much information about basicranial skeletal maturation. We investigate three variants: the absence of the foramen spinosum and the position of both the foramen spinosum and the foramen ovale in relation to the sphenosquamosal suture. Providing original data about humans and 1,425 extant great ape skulls and using a sample of 64 fossil hominids, this study aimed to test whether different ossification patterns occurred during the course of human evolution. The incidence of three derived morphologies located on the posterior border of the sphenoid greater wing increases during human evolution at different geological periods. The evolutionary polarity of these three derived morphologies is assessed by outgroup comparison and ontogenetic methods. During human evolution, there is a clear trend for the foramen spinosum to be present and wholly located on the posterior area of the sphenoid greater wing. Moreover, in all the great ape species and in Australopithecus afarensis, the sphenosquamosal suture may split the foramen ovale. Inversely, the foramen ovale always lies wholly within the sphenoid greater wing in Australopithecus africanus, robust australopithecines, early Homo, H. erectus (and/or H. ergaster), and Homo sapiens. From ontogenetic studies in humans, we conclude that, during human evolution, the ossification of the posterior area of the sphenoid greater wing progressively surrounded the middle meningeal artery (passing through the foramen spinosum) and the small meningeal artery (passing through the foramen ovale).     

Pharmacokinetic features, immunogenicity, and toxicity of B43(anti-CD19)-pokeweed antiviral protein immunotoxin in cynomolgus monkeys

Withdrawal responses to mechanical and thermal stimuli applied to the plantar surface of the hindpaw were measured before and after bone damage. In separate groups of rats the bone was injured by scraping the periosteum of the tibia, drilling a hole through the tibia, aspirating bone marrow, or drilling a hole through the calcaneus. Scraping the periosteum did not alter withdrawal responses to the mechanical stimuli, or evoke nocifensive behavior. In contrast, secondary mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia, and cold allodynia were observed after a hole was drilled through the tibia or calcaneus and after aspiration of bone marrow. The secondary hyperalgesia peaked at 2 h after injury. Drilling a hole through the calcaneus permitted primary hyperalgesia to be easily quantified. Primary hyperalgesia lasted up to 24 h after injury. Nocifensive behavior characterized by a lifting and guarding of the damaged limb was also observed after a hole was drilled through the tibia or calcaneus. Drilling a hole through the tibia or calcaneus should be a useful experimental model for investigating the mechanisms underlying bone pain.     

A 3D kinematic method for evaluating voluntary movements of the cervical spine in humans

Progress in micro or macro replantation has resulted in higher survival rates of formerly amputated parts. More amputated digits or limbs survive because the time of ischemia can be exceeded by using cold storage or perfusion. Homo or heterodigital vessel transposition, expanded indications for vein graft interposition, as well as heterotopic transplantation allow for extremity preservation even in crush injuries, and in disastrous multiple amputations combined with contusion or avulsion. Secondary reconstruction with regard to bone defects, tendon repair, and eventual nerve grafting have to be aspired, finally leading to an improvement of functional results in daily and leisure activities as well as in early professional readaptation. A total of 114 microvascular extremity replantations/revascularizations with a survival rate of 77.2% were followed for an average of 15 years.     

中小型棒材车间步进式冷床长度的计算

介绍了年产100万t的某棒材中小型轧钢车间冷床的工艺尺寸计算和冷却能力的校核。对棒材在冷床上的冷却主要考虑热辐射,采用波尔茨曼公式计算棒材冷却所需时间,求出冷床长度,并将该时间与棒材在冷床上实际通过的时间进行比较,校核了冷床长度。